Blood Soaked Bandages
by issac shikimori
Summary: Minato Namikaze the Yondaime of the village was so scared to risk his family that he actually decided to use another child for the sealing of the Kyuubi instead. However because of some circumstances that failed and the sealing went on with his son as planned. Now Naruto and the boy who was to take his place Rock Lee are bonded by fate as they take the ninja world by storm.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone!**

**Issac Shikimori is here with a new story to share about one of my favorite naruto characters. I believe Rock Lee needs a bit more loving in the show which is why I have dedicated this story to help show how awesome of a person he really is. This story will be about naruto and his friends of course but it is also about Rock Lee playing a larger role. If you don't like it well I apologize however this is how I choose to write my story ^^'. Also please feel free to comment and share how you feel about it! Note I do not own Naruto because if I did then Lee definitely would have been given a better character in the show. That and Naruto and Hinata would be together already. Without further ado…. I present you "Blood Soaked Bandages!"**

**Chapter 1: A desperate hokage**

"Yondaime-sama the kyuubi no kitsune is well on his way to the village. The ETA for his arrival at the front gates of the village is ten minutes sir… what course of action do you wish for us to take?" Asked a worn Jounin who had just returned from the front lines. Standing before the kneeling man was none other than Minato Namikaze the Yondaime and current kage of Konohagakure no sato also known as the village hidden in the leaves. The blond haired man sighed heavily holding his side from his previous encounter with a masked man who had attempted to take his son from him and his wife. At this moment Minato knew that there would be no other option than to seal off the kyuubi in order to protect the village as well as prepare it for a future attack from that masked man. To his surprise when he spoke to his wife about this idea she slapped him for even considering taking an infant from the orphanage to take their new born son's place. Minato looked down in shame at his thought as he remembered exactly how the situation took place….

_Flashback no jutsu!_

_ Minato ran into the room where Kushina was laying with a smile on his face as he was carrying a small boy from the orphanage in his arms. The young boy was still asleep since it was so late at night and even the desperate father known as the Yellow Flash of Konoha knew what he was doing was wrong. However the thought of using his son in this process was too much for him to handle._

_ "Kushina look! I brought a vessel for me to seal the Kyuubi in. Look he doesn't even have any parents that we know of an-"However Minato was cut off by his wife who immediately pulled her hand back with fury in her eyes. He held his cheek not accustomed to this strange pain as he glanced up into the eyes of his wife._

_ "YOU ARE THE HOKAGE OF THIS VILLAGE AND YOU ARE ABOUT TO CONDEMN ANOTHER CHILD WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN RISK YOUR OWN SON!... You think I like this? Well I don't but the Kyuubi is not stopping… that masked man did something to him and now we have no other choice Minato. If we have to do this for the village then we will make the sacrifice and keep it in our own family, not risk another boy because we are scared for our son. I love Naruto and I love you but we need to do what is best…."_

_ As the two remained there the roof busted open as the Kyuubi struck the entire building destroying the main foundation of it. There stood Minato standing as a shield over his wife and son as the small orphaned child remain sleeping through all of this. The words of his wife pierced his heart and mind as his thoughts kept racing on how he was to protect not only the village but his family. However he knew that as the Hokage his mission was to protect these people first and that everything paled in comparison to his village. Minato clenched his fists as a tear slid down his cheek and started to do the necessary hand signs for his jutsu the Shiki fujin. Kushina smiled sadly at him as she silently cooed to her baby boy who was crying this entire time. She looked back over to her husband and saw something that scared her about the man she grew to love. She saw the desperation in his eyes as he turned his attention to the orphan boy who was starting to waken. _

_ "W-w-where am I?... WHAT IS THAT!" He shouted pointing at the Kyuubi. The sheer sight of the beast was enough to scare the small boy enough to the point where he passed out from fear. Minato said a tearful apology as he turned his attention to the orphan boy and started to apply the seal. Kushina immediately jumped upward and grabbed her husband and forced him to stop the sealing process. The death god started to form behind the both of them and was not happy. _

_ "You who summoned me… why do you stop the sealing process… you have offered your life already no?" The death god asked with an amused expression on his face. Before Minato or Kushina could respond the Kyuubi stabbed one of its tails through Kushina's chest. This caused the previous container of the kyuubi to cough out a large amount of blood as she looked over at her husband reaching out to him. _

_ "Minato… please…. Do what is right…. Don't let your fear rule you… I will always love you and naru-…na-…n-"She choked out before her eyes rolled back and her body became cold and lifeless. The death god was quite pleased and decided to take his late wife's soul into himself in exchange for Minato's life. Minato seeing this screamed at the top of his lungs and grabbed his son and the orphan boy and used his hiraishin technique to teleport to his office…._

Now Minato knew that he could no longer wait. He had conducted an act against his village out of fear of losing his family. Now his beautiful wife Kushina was gone and his infant son in his arms he told the Jounin to retreat from the front lines and leave the rest to him. He looked over at the small boy in the corner and realized the error in his ways… because of the unsuccessful transfer the boy's chakra coils were damaged beyond repair and would never be able to use ninjutsu or genjutsu. "Hopefully the boy will simply live as a civilian… I did this to him and I hope to pay him back one day.. more so Naruto I wish you will one day." Minato whispered to himself as he shushined to the front lines. The Kyuubi continued to crush buildings and throw shinobi around like rag dolls while Minato only stood there looking down about what he was about to do. He then laid his son on the ground and smiled a bit as he wiggled his finger to play with the baby a bit before glaring up at the huge chakra beast that seemed to notice his presence. As the Kyuubi charged at the Yondaime he quickly went through the necessary hand signs and shouted out "SHIKI FUJIN!" as the death god once again returned to the world of the living. Minato then proceeded to seal the beast into his son as the kyuubi roared out in pain. As the sealing was almost done Minato made sure to seal a bit of his chakra as well as his wife's into his son so if the situation rose they would appear before him in his mind scape in order to aid him with the issues the Kyuubi most likely would be giving him. Finally the sealing was finished as Minato fell to his knees besides his crying child smiling he whispered into Naruto's ear.

"You will do great things… greater things then I ever could… greater things then your mother could. Please be more brave then your cowardly father and never risk another person to save yourself… You are the hope for the future Naruto… never forget that your mother and I love you…" He muttered before the Yellow Flash felt his soul leaving his body. There lying next to him the crying infant Naruto Uzumaki was his lineage and the last remaining member of the Namikaze and Uzumaki clan.

Back in the Hokage office Hiruzen Sarutobi the previous Kage of the village sighed deeply as he placed the Hokage cap once again on his head. Not only did he miss his successor dearly he also held a great disappointment that he outlived such a talented young man. As he was about to sit down at the desk he noticed a parchment on the chair as he blinked a bit and picked it up before opening the seal that would only respond to his blood. As he read the note his eyes widened as he caught first glance at the great Minato Namikaze's first recorded mistake.

"_Hiruzen_

_If you're reading this then more likely than not I am dead from sealing off the Kyuubi. As we talked about with Kushina I have chosen to seal of the Kyuubi in my son Naruto however I must confess to something as it weighs heavily on my heart. I have failed the village in that I let my emotions and love for my family cloud my judgment. I almost sealed the Kyuubi into a small orphan boy with no recorded family out of fear for sentencing my son to a life of being the Kyuubi's jailor. I had one of my men return the boy named Lee to the orphanage however because of my actions he will never be able to mold chakra correctly due to the demonic chakra entering his body and the sudden stopping of the sealing. I have sentenced this boy to suffer for the rest of his life out of my own selfish ambition and for that I must apologize. More so I want to apologize about the fact that I am once again forcing you to take on the mantle of Hokage since I know you wish to just retire. Please Hiruzen if you can watch over my son as he lives his life. Being a container for the Kyuubi will surely make his life hard if it is ever released. This is why I wish to keep it between you and me. Also if I may request that you look out for this Lee boy as well and ensure that he lives a moderately comfortable life in the village. There should be enough money left in my account to cover the cost of taking care of Naruto and Lee. I do not want Naruto to receive his inheritance till he reaches either chuunin or the age of eighteen so this leaves you to make decisions on how the money is used. I know this is a lot to ask of you my friend however I hope that my cowardice and momentary hesitation has not dampened how you feel about me or my son. _

_Guide them well Hiruzen-sama…. The village needs you_

_Minato Namikaze The Yellow Flash"_

Hiruzen was at a loss for words after reading the letter and looked up into the window to look at the village. As this happened one of his ANBU arrived with baby naruto in hand as he kneeled offering the child up to him. Sarutobi only sighed as he took a puff from his pipe taking the small boy and smiling at him as he slept. He knew that life would be hard for this boy as well as for the orphan boy that Minato had spoken of. Though Sarutobi was disappointed he could not blame Minato for his actions as he ultimately could understand the man's logic as he handed the child to his secretary. He would worry about what to do about the boy soon but for now he had to attend to the council that was called in regards to what to do now that the kyuubi has been dealt with.

Entering the council room all the Clan heads as well as the Hokage's advisors were all seated waiting for the entrance of the fourth. When they saw Hiruzen enter the room they knew something was wrong. Hiruzen shuffled over to the hokage seat tired from all of the events that had occurred that night and sat down amongst the other council members calling the meeting to order.

"Sarutobi-sama if I may ask where is Namikaze-sama? Why are you sitting in the Hokage seat?" Danzo asked raising an eyebrow at his old teammate. Though he did not like the fourth for taking away his precious title of Hokage he preffered him over Hiruzen as he was more likely to get away with his ROOT missions with the younger and less experienced Hokage in office. The rest of the delegation all nodded to symbolize that they were all thinking the same as Hiruzen cleared his throat.

"Minato Namikaze and his wife Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze were both killed in the process of defeating the Kyuubi tonight." Sarutobi stated with an air of confidence. This caused all the clan heads to look down in sadness for the fall of their current leader. Danzo however saw this as an opportunity to rise to power as he quickly stood to gain everyone's attention. "The village needs a leader in this time of crisis to aid in the rebuilding of this great village and to lead us to protecting ourselves in the case that this happens again. Since the Yondaime has tragically passed on and the village is currently without a leader I nominate myself to become Hokage." Before the others could speak the other two advisors to the Hokage immediately raised their hands to show they supported Danzo. Hiruzen only cleared his throat again as he looked out at the council.

"Sorry Danzo that will not be happening as the Yondaime already stated before in the last meeting that if anything were to happen to him I would once again take the title of Hokage. Now If you are finished with your moving speech about how you wish to seize control of the village I would like to bring up the second order of business for the evening." Hiruzen stated glaring daggers at the other elderly man. He immediately sat down closing his mouth knowing not to oppose the current Hokage silently cursing himself for not remembering the last meeting. Once the floor was clear of deliberation the Hokage called in his secretary who brought in the sleeping Naruto as he stood and showed him to the rest of the council.

"This child was selected by the Yondaime to become the vessel that would contain the Kyuubi. His name is Naruto Uzumaki and the next order of business would be under what protective care program will we be placing him?" Hiruzen stated however almost immediately shouts and curses were flying around the room as the civilian council yelled for the death of the demon spawn as they called him. This angered Hiruzen past his boiling point as he released a massive amount of killing intent before yelling "YOU ALL WILL REMAIN SILENT IN MY COUNCIL!" With this most of the civilian council passed out from the sheer weight of Hiruzen's ki while the other shinobi in the room obviously showed how uncomfortable they were with the added pressure in the room. Hiruzen was fuming from this and could not believe that the sensible people of his council though passionate at times would even consider excuting a newborn child.

"Since we cannot seem to control ourselves today then I will take it upon myself to take this boy in and raise him. Are there any objections to this?" Sarutobi stated with venom in his voice as Danzo immediately raised his hand. "Hokage-dono as the leader of this village and a military figure you showing favoritism to any individual places the entire village in an unfair stance so if you take that child in then you will be neglecting the other orphans that need a home. For that reason I must decline your right to take the child!" Danzo stated with an evil smirk. The civilian council wanting to make the boy suffer eagerly agreed as well as the Hokage's advisors. On the Shinobi end the clan heads were divided. The Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Aburame clans were opposed to not letting the boy stay with the Hokage but the Uchiha, Inuzuka, Haruno, and Hyuuga all supported Danzo and his wishes leading a landslide victory in the case of Danzo. Angered but containing his rage Hiruzen took a mighty puff of his pipe as he called another idea to order." Well then if I cannot take the boy then no one here will. I declare that Uzumaki Naruto will be incapable of adoption under law of the Hokage himself. Also in regards to his heritage I must call an oath of secrecy. If anyone one over the age of eighteen even considers telling a child in the village about Naruto's secret they will be publicly executed on sight. Do I make myself clear?" With that the clan heads all nodded their agreement while Danzo growled silently to himself since he could not take the boy legally and train him the way he wished. The civilian council was livid at the thought that their leader was not going to execute the boy but the idea that he will never be adopted and would be forced to live on his own was enough for them to deal with. They would have their revenge on him later.

Without any further delegation Hiruzen closed the meeting and handed the new born to his secretary ordering her to take the young boy to the orphanage. He hoped that he had scared everyone enough to follow his rulings however he knew in the back of his mind this wouldn't be the last time that he would have to deal with issues in regards to Naruto. Silently Sarutobi looked up to the sky and whispered to himself "It is done Minato… rest in peace my friend."

**5 years later**

Hiruzen after finishing his paper work decided to take off seeing the village celebrating the annual festival to honor their fallen comrades who died in the Kyuubi attack. There was a large fair like feeling in the village with many street vendors and games for children to play as well as a reenactment of how the mighty fourth used his powerful jutsu to 'defeat' the evil demon fox. The kids all seemed to enjoy this play while the parents were mostly annoyed. Sure it was great to see their hero portrayed well in the eyes of their children but the parents also knew that the demon fox was not dead and was still currently living in their own village.

A young boy with huge bushy eyebrows was running around the orphanage a little too excited that he was going to the festival along with his friends. Since he was one of the older boys he would have to watch over all of them however he was always confused how one of the boys simply did not wish to go to the festival. In his mind there was just simply no reason for someone not to want to go celebrate one of the most memorable days in their village's history and to commemorate the fallen warriors as well as the hero that single handedly saved the village from the evil demon fox. So while the other boys were getting ready the young bushy browed boy ran over to the small blonde child curled up in the corner.

"Hey there you seem to be upset about something I know what will cheer you up! How about you come with me and the other kids to the festival and I will surely win you a prize!" The energetic boy stated holding his hand out to the younger boy in the corner. The blond haired child looked up in fear and was hesitant and first before quietly saying "The grown-ups wont let me go to the festival…. They all yell at me and throw things at me…. Earlier today one of them did this to me…" He stated as he lifted his sleeve as he revealed a large gash that seemed to have healed a bit. However the energetic boy would not stand for this as he ripped a section of cloth from his shirt and tied it around the younger boy's arm before smiling back at him.

"There that is much better! Do not worry about those mean grown-ups who hurt you! I will protect you from them and then we can report them to the orphanage mothers! That will show them and then you and I can be great friends!" The boy shouted as he did what appeared to be an improvised good guy pose. This pose consisted of a thumbs up sign as well as a flash of his shiny white teeth that seemed to blind the nearby children. Clearly this boy practiced excellent dental hygiene however that was not the point. He bent down and helped the small blond boy up smiling at him as he patted him on the back.

"Oh I almost forgot to introduce myself! Silly me you must forgive me my friend! My name is Lee and it is very nice to meet you!" He stated holding his hand out. The blond child was still very hesitant around the other boy but took his hand and shook it. "My name is Naruto… Naruto Uzumaki it is very nice to meet you Lee…" With that Lee pumped his fist in the air and gave off a mighty yell which seemed to disturb the other boys who were getting ready for the festival as well as make the girls on the other side of the orphanage giggle. Lee was very popular here at the orphanage as his hilarious antics always seemed to make people smile. Initially the mothers who worked there at the orphanage were very worried for him because of his poor health when he was a boy but strangely he recovered and became a very strong child. A little hyperactive but strong nonetheless and they couldn't be more great full to kami for that.

The owner of the Orphanage walked up and shot a glare at Naruto making him flinch as Lee was doing his happy dance to busy in his own moment to notice the treatment Naruto was receiving. "Lee take the other boy's to the festival… Naruto here has to stay and finish the chores." The owner stated as Lee immediately stopped and looked at her. "B-b-but Naruto-kun and I were going to go to the festival together! Besides I finished all the chores earlier what else is there to do?" He shouted obviously upset about this. The owner smiled at Lee hiding her malice towards the Kyuubi container as she crouched to his level. "Well why don't you go ahead and head to the festival and I will send Naruto right after he and I talk for a little bit. He will catch up to you don't worry Lee." The owner said softly as Lee smiled and gave her a smile as he turned to Naruto. "Alright Naruto-kun the owner promises I will see you soon so please hurry with whatever needs to be done so I can show you how amazing I am at the carnival games!" He shouted before giving Naruto a miniature salute. With that Naruto silently nodded to him and stayed behind while Lee and the other boys ran off to take part in the celebration. As Naruto stood in the doorway watching them leave he could feel the tears building up in his eyes as he heard the sound of a whip cracking behind him. "Come here you little brat!... time for your birthday lashes."

At the festival Hiruzen was walking around contently as several of the civilians and shinobi alike were bowing to show their respect for the seasoned leader of Konoha. He nodded to show that he respected them and allowed them to continue their festivities. In the back of his mind however he was wondering about a particular young blond in which he hadn't seen running the streets. As he was walking around thinking this he accidentally bumped into a certain energetic bushy browed child as he chuckled to himself and bent down to help the child up.

"Oh HOKAGE-SAMA! Please accept my deepest apologies for bumping into you! I will take whatever punishment you deem fitting for such an insubordinate swine such as myself!" The youth shouted as he quickly bowed his forehead touching the ground. Hiruzen could only laugh as he helped signaled for the boy to stand. Obviously this boy was reading to many books about Samurai and such that he didn't understand the concept of grace.

"That is quite alright there… Lee isn't it? Well this is an excellent surprise. I have been keeping tabs on you since you were an infant. How is your health?" Hiruzen smiled as he ruffled the boy's hair. Lee only smiled and gave the most convincing good guy pose that a six year old could muster as he shouted loudly. "I am strong as an ox sir and ready for the shinobi academy!"

This surprised Hiruzen thoroughly as he did not expect the boy to wish to become a shinobi. Especially with his inability to mold chakra however that was not up to him to decide and if the boy wished to try then who was he to stop him. He smiled at the boy to show he agreed with his decision and looked around at all the other children playing around in the streets before his mind once again wondered to a specific child.

"Lee do you by chance know of a blond haired boy at the orphanage? How is he holding up?" The hokage questioned as Lee blinked not knowing why the Hokage was asking for his new friend. "Oh Naruto-kun? He is fine but strangely he could not come to the festival today. Also he had a big cut on his arm and it didn't seem that the mothers at the orphanage were assisting him. So I bandaged it up myself. " Lee stated looking down that his friend couldn't come with them. This recent news disturbed Hiruzen as he looked around. "And where is Naruto now?" He asked worry in his voice.

"Naruto-kun should be at the orphanage with the mothers and the owner. I am not entirely sure what is going on sir but the owner did seem really happy about having Naruto-kun there by himself." With that Lee saw the old man immediately dash away from him and head in the direction of the orphanage. Confused as to why the Hokage was doing this he decided to follow him back to see Naruto-kun. When Hiruzen arrived at the Orphanage he kicked the door in to see the atrocities being commited to young Naruto. There in the corner was five year old naruto cowering in the corner now covered in several cuts and bruises. His shirt torn from the lashes that he had sustained from the sadistic owner of the Orphanage as there were purple welts forming on his back where the skin ripped open from the whipping. Little Naruto was crying for help as the owner turned to see the Hokage standing there obviously angered. Justice was swift as Hiruzen quickly executed the man before walking over to Naruto picking him up. The crying boy struggled screaming things such as "Please no more! I can't take any more beatings!" he cried out. Hiruzen deeply sorry for all the things that the child had to deal with decided to finally take action.

As he walked out of the orphanage Lee finally reached his home to see the Hokage carrying the sleeping form of his friend covered in many bruises and injuries. "WHAT HAPPENE D TO NARUTO-KUN!" Lee shouted as he pulled on the Hokage's robes. Hiruzen only looked down and smiled softly before saying "He was hurt by some bad people but its okay… I will take care of him from now on. Is that okay Lee?" He said softly however the young boy looked down clenching his fists in anger. "Hokage-sama I will train hard and become a ninja so that I can protect my precious people like Naruto-kun here. Please I want to join the academy! I know I cannot mold chakra and do ninjutsu or genjutsu but I will become a ninja anyway! I will train in taijutsu and become more skilled than any other ninja has before in the art then I will be strong enough to take care of Naruto-kun!" Lee stated his eyes burning with determination to protect his friend. Hiruzen could only smile that a boy had become this close to Naruto in his absence and he could not let this boy's dream die. So with the Hokage's permission he would allow the boy to join the academy. Naruto on the other hand would not be put back in the orphanage but will be given an apartment where he will be safe. Hiruzen decided to place ANBU officers in the vicinity of the new apartment he would give Naruto so that the boy would be able to sleep soundly at night and he would out of his own pocket secretly cover Naruto's expenses.

With this in mind he nodded to the young Lee patting him on the head while his ANBU members were quickly removing the body of the fallen owner of the Orphanage in secret. He then dismissed Lee as he carried Naruto back to his office to get the paper work done for Naruto's new home as well as Lee's entrance to the academy. The following day Naruto was happily scarfing down his fifteenth bowl of ramen as Hiruzen was showing him around his new apartment. He obviously was very pleased with it as he was finally happy to be able to stay by himself where people wouldn't hurt him. Before the Hokage prepared to leave naruto called out to him "Umm Jiji? Would it be okay if Lee-niisan came over to play?" This amused Hiruzen to no end as he only nodded and rubbed Naruto's head. With that he left the boy to explore the apartment by himself as he would return back to his office to combat the mountains of paperwork that were surely to be waiting for him.

** ~At the other end of the village~**

"Books? Check… Sandals? Check… Hair in a pony tail? Check! Good guy pose? CHECK! YOSH I AM READY FOR THE ACADEMY!" Lee shouted loudly which annoyed Iruka to no bounds as the boy had once again interrupted his class. The other students found him funny including a young girl with buns in her hair, however there was one that didn't find his antics amusing at all. That would be Hyuuga Neji the proclaimed prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. For some reason the hyperactive boy Lee seemed to annoy the hell out of Neji and he would soon shut him up permanently.

**Well that wraps up the first chapter hopefully you all enjoyed the story so far as I enjoyed writing it. I am hoping that you all will read it and review. This story will ultimately follow the same storyline as Naruto however there will be minor changes and will change every now and then between Naruto and Lee. So please review and let me know what you all think! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well hello there everyone! Issac Shikimori here once again with Blood Soaked Bandages my new story! Now before I got too far into the plot line I wanted to get my viewer's opinions on what should happen with Lee. In regards to parings I will have NarutoXHinata however I am at a pass for Lee. Should I have him be with Sakura, Tenten, or maybe a lesser known character? Heck I can even make an original character for Lee. I hope that you guys can get back to me soon in accordance to what I should do. Now without further ado I present to you Chapter 2 of Blood Soaked Bandages!**

**Chapter Two: ** **Rivals, Friends, and Bowl Cuts!**

Iruka walked into his classroom seeing his new student Lee making quite a ruckus in the middle of the room going off about his list of things he needed for the academy which caused the children nearby to all giggle at him. Lee being somewhat of a class clown from taking care of his "little brothers" in the orphanage only took the giggles as a sign of respect as he continued with several poses and more jokes to make the others around him laugh. This made a vein pop out on Iruka's head as he was about to walk up there and quite Lee down however stopped when he caught sight of a young man walking up to the energetic boy.

"AND I LEE OF KONOHA WILL FIGHT TO PROTECT ALL THE FAIR MAIDENS IN THE LAND! FOR I AM AWES-"Was all Lee managed to choke out before the other boy grabbed him by the collar suspending him a few inches off the ground. This boy was none other than Neji Hyuuga a proclaimed prodigy of the Hyuuga clan despite his status as a branch member. Lee only gulped as the Hyuuga tightened his grip starting to make Lee feel uncomfortable as his gaze grew sharp and menacing.

"Listen clown… You can be an idiot all day if you want but not here at the Academy. There are people trying to learn things here and obviously you don't understand the importance of these lessons. One mistake one miscalculation and someone can die and it would all be on you because you decided to be Mr. Funny Guy…. I don't want to have to waste my time with losers like you who are destined by fate to always be losers… just don't distract those who are actually worth something." With that he threw Lee into his chair and turned to Iruka bowing in respect and apologizing stating that he only wanted the distractions to be removed and for class to begin.

Though Iruka didn't appreciate how he went about ending Lee's little episode he did have to admit that he was being disruptive and he couldn't punish Neji for assisting the teacher in controlling the class. With that he sighed to himself as he turned to the chalk board and began drawing diagrams to explain the basics of Chakra. While this was happening Lee was sitting there wide eyed as to what had just happened. No one at the orphanage ever thought he was stupid for making other people happy, he was a bit peculiar yes but stupid? He immediately shook himself out of his thoughts and quickly went back to paying attention to the lesson too scared to cause any more outbreaks which could potentially drag Neji to him.

After a few hours had passed the class was led outside for their taijutsu training which consisted of some basic warm ups as wells as a few basic drills such as punching and kicking. This was everyone's favorite part of the day as they all got the opportunity to go outside and escape from another of Iruka's long boring lectures. One boy in particular was enjoying the work out more than the others. Lee standing in the front row so he could get an excellent view of his teacher immediately started mimicking his movements copying punches and kicks as best as he could. His technique was very sloppy however that could be improved on what really brought Lee to the attention of the Taijutsu instructor was his willingness to learn and work hard even though he was by technicality the dead last of the group.

Due to his prior health issues when he was a child Lee had issues developing chakra which worried the teachers at the academy. Also because of this issue there were obvious moments when the other members of his class would push ahead of him as they were capable of using chakra to increase their movements and strength. It was explained to Lee that one day he might learn to use Chakra to do the same as his comrades but as of now his system was too underdeveloped and difficult to say the least to even hope to mold chakra. Though he was told this time and time again Lee would refuse to believe them or lie down and accept his fate. Whether it was tree jumping exercises or timed runs Lee would always end up last in his class however he always was willing to push farther and farther into his lessons.

Finally the day that everyone in the academy had been dreading in the academy had arrived. The students had trained long all year long and were now asked to evaluate on their skills they had acquired over the year. In ninjutsu the students were given a written test with an hour to complete. This test consisted of fifty questions regarding chakra, chakra control, the basic elements, and an essay on what a kekki genkai was. Within the first twenty minutes Hyuuga Neji walked up to the front of the class and laid his test on Iruka's desk with a smile on his face. He knew much about the subject and was well versed in the lessons Iruka taught with his fellow clan mates to teach him all he needed to know. Truly he was reaping the benefits of being in a clan. Fifteen minutes passed as more people walked up and turned in their papers, one of them being a kind girl who had an interesting fascination with weapons. This girl was Tenten Yugura a girl originating from a civilian family of blacksmiths who joined the academy in order to continue studying about her love for shinobi weaponry.

With thirty seconds left on the clock Iruka looked up from the book he was reading to see that the only student who remained was Lee furiously writing on a sheet of paper. Iruka raised an eyebrow looking back at his clock wondering why Lee was taking so long to finish the basic evaluation test for ninjutsu. Finally the timer rang Iruka called Lee over to him as the young boy happily ran over with his test. To Iruka's surprise the boy had several stacks of paper with him as he turned his test over on the desk.

"Lee what is all of this?" Iruka asked taken aback by the sheer amount of papers Lee had turned in. When he looked up he saw the boy smiling happily as he simply answered "The essay took a while for me to write but I made sure to include everything you ever said in your lectures Iruka sensei!" Lee smiled happily his teeth giving off a glare that could blind a man. As Iruka looked down at his test he was shocked to see that not only had Lee thoroughly answered the question but provided diagrams and examples that could be used. He even took the opportunity to list some disadvantages to several Kekki Genkai's that resided in the village. Obviously this boy had been paying attention however Iruka was just amazed with how he managed to provide such an in depth answer.

"Lee how did you remember all of this…? Even Neji didn't write this much and he has the highest grade in the class!" Iruka stammered continuing through Lee's essay. The boy only chuckled to himself as he gave his teacher his thumbs up sign and shouted. "It is because I have a photographic memory sensei! That is why I am able to pick up on the Taijutsu kata's so easily!" He shouted with enthusiasm. Before Iruka could offer a rebuttal Lee looked over at the clock and noticed it was time for the weapons exam followed by the taijutsu exam.

"Oh I am going to be late I must apologize sensei but I must be heading off now!" He shouted before dashing off to the training grounds outside for the weapons evaluation. Iruka only looked out the window still flabbergasted at how just how talented the young boy was. "If only I can find someone to bring out the talent that boy really has…. Maybe…." Iruka thought to himself as he went back to his desk to look through some files. He was intent on helping Lee achieving his dream of becoming a great ninja one way or another.

"ALRIGHT I MANAGED TO HIT FIFTEEN TARGETS! YOSH I AM AMAZING!" lee shouted in glee as he started to dance around to show his joy for his success. The other students chuckled at his antics as Neji shot him a death glare putting an end to his ridiculous display. Tenten walked over giggling as she held her hand out to Lee. "Lee you know that fifteen is the bear minimum you needed to get to pass the exam right?" She had stated obviously amused by the boy. Being a weapons expert she managed to hit all thirty targets surprising everyone by getting a bulls eye every time. Nobody in the school could come even remotely close to her skill level at throwing weapons.

"Yes of course but I managed to pass did I not Tenten and for that I must celebrate! YOSH!" He shouted before he felt a shove. He looked over and saw that Neji who had walked over by him bumped into him while he whispered into his ear. "For the Taijutsu portion of the test I am going to inflict on you ten times more pain then this." He threatened as he quickly struck one of Lee's pressure points in his side making the boy fall over in pain. Tenten seeing this grumbled a bit at the cruel actions of the quiet hyuuga as she helped Lee off the ground before patting the dirt off of him.

"Don't worry about him Neji is just a jerk and he doesn't know when to stop bullying other people. He comes from a big clan so he has somewhat of a superiority complex and I think he feels a bit challenged because of your declaration to become a great ninja only using Taijutsu." Tenten stated smiling wearily at him. Lee looked over her shoulder at Neji as he walked away from the rest of them before leaning against a tree. "If a fight is what he wants then a fight is what he gets…." Lee thought to himself as he clenched his knuckles tightly.

As the class was lead out into the courtyard Iruka cleared his throat as he walked to the front of his class and smiled. "Listen up! Because our taijutsu coach is on a mission I had to find a substitute to preside over the taijutsu examinations. So then without further ado, your substi-"Iruka suddenly was caught off as a quick blur of green appeared in the field of vision of the students. Immediately the blur took shape into a strange man with a bowl cut and a smile that was so bright it ended up blinding a kid or two.

"I LOVE TEACHING THE CHILDREN OF THIS BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE! THEIR PRECIOUS YOUTH BURNS BRIGHTER THAN A SUNSET AMONGST THE CRASHING WAVES!" Might Guy proclaimed pumping his fist into the air as the scenery behind him changed to a majestic painting of a tidal wave crashing into a cliff with a sunset shining brilliantly in the distance. While this led to several disturbed and confused responses from the children one boy immediately jumped up to the man tackling him.

"THAT HAIR! THOSE MUSCLES! THIS BEAUTIFUL OUTFIT!? ARE YOU GOD!?" Lee yelled out too excited to notice the people behind him either giggling or whispering rude remarks to each other. Guy on the other hand was taken aback. This boy's youthful flames were burning brighter than he had ever seen in his life. In fact they burned brighter than his own which motivated him to out-youth the boy as well as add fuel to this figurative flame and burn his youth sky high.

"Will you two calm down so we can have our exams please?" Iruka yelled out to the both of them causing them both to stand at attention saluting Iruka in unison. "Gomen Iruka-sensei!" both called out in unison. Iruka only facepalmed as he forcibly ripped lee away from the taijutsu master so that they could proceed with the exams. Afterward Iruka pulled out a box containing the names of all his students which would be used to determine the opponents for their exams. After a bunch of normal match ups Lee stepped forward in line and reached into the box grasping hold of a slip of paper. When he pulled it out and looked at it he smiled to himself before screeching "YOSH I have gotten Neji!" The whole class gasped, however Neji only thanked his luck seeing as how he would finally get the chance to beat down the loud fool without being scolded by the Hyuuga elders.

Iruka saw the two boys glaring at one another and sighed to himself knowing all too well that this exam may be the most troublesome in his life. As the exams drew out several simple bouts between children who barely understood the basics of taijutsu took place which usually ended in a slap fight or a wrestling match. Then as the matches dwindled down the final event took place where Neji and Lee would finally meet in combat. Lee trying to look as confident as possible puffed out his chest as he walked up onto the raised platform they would be fighting on. In his head he kept thinking of all the cool things he would say when he would once and for all prove his worth to Neji, however deep inside he was afraid. He was afraid that Neji would really hurt him and that this would be more of a one sided beating then a match.

At the other side of the platform the Hyuuga calmly made his way up the small staircase as he stood there at the other end hands at his sides his eyes closed. This confused Lee as he knew that the Hyuuga were famous for their eyes and here his opponent was standing there eyes closed.

"Hey! Neji aren't you going to open your eyes and get into a stance for the bout?" Lee asked breaking the silent tension in the field. Neji however only chuckled lightly pointing at Lee with his eyes still closed. "You are not worth using the Byakugan on even if it isn't activated. So I will finish you off without the aid of my eyes this way you might possibly stand a chance in coming out of this with all of your limbs working problem you loser." Neji responded coldly as he shifted his weight entering his stance.

Lee felt something inside of him immediately snap as he clenched his fists tightly so that his palms started to bleed. His eyes narrowed as he charged Neji fist pulled back as he attempted to throw a punch at him. Because of this newfound rage Lee was not thinking straight and his already subpar taijutsu was becoming less and less organized and easily countered by the blind Hyuuga. As Lee continued to throw blow after blow at Neji frustrated that no matter what he did the Hyuuga was always at least two steps ahead of him.

"Why can't I hit him!? I just want him to see that I am not useless! I want to prove it to him… I want to prove to myself I am not as useless as what the doctors keep telling me!" He shouted in his mind falling on his face after Neji stepped aside dodging an off-balanced right straight. This sudden realization that he and Neji were leagues away almost brought tears to his eyes as he was about to call it quits right there until he felt someone pat him on the shoulder.

"Huh?" Lee asked as he looked up at the towering figure that was helping him up. This was none other than the examination proctor Might Guy as he kneeled down to his level to talk to him.

"Listen Lee isn't it? The problem is that you are way too angry and cannot focus on fighting him. He is bating your right now and you need to calm down and thoroughly think out your options before attacking. As you can see he keeps dodging your attacks so maybe instead of attacking him you should ground yourself and defend and wait for an opening. Just remain solid Lee… hmmm like a rock or something." He said thinking of how best to explain this.

This little speech had opened the boy's eyes as he realized the error in his fighting. He could only nod at Guy as he forced himself to stand up and take a deep breath trying to calm himself down and approach the battle from another angle. Lee however decided to take it up a step further and removed the cloth belt around his tunic and taking it off revealing his white undershirt. He would bring the cloth belt up to his face and tie it around his head blocking his eyes as well. Seeing this everyone in the crowd was shocked except for one Might Guy who only smiled.

"I AM ROCK LEE OF THE HIDDEN LEAF VILLAGE AND STARTING NOW OUR REAL BATTLE BEGINS!" Lee shouted as he entered the most basic stance taught to all taijutsu students. This stance also known as the "horse riding stance" was a firm stance with both legs about shoulder length apart slightly bent equally distributing his weight. Lee breathed in hard as he aimed his left arm out and held his right at his side which was the basic position for the punching drill the students all practiced every day.

Neji noting that the attacks had stopped coming grew bored of waiting and dashed towards lee palm out ready to strike him in the chest and end this pitiful match. Lee on the other hand held himself rooted to the ground in anticipation for the blow to come, and if like clockwork the moment right before Neji entered his range of motion Lee shifted his right leg forward locking his left knee and punched out hard with his right hand turning his entire body into the punch.

This technique was known simply as the seiken also known as righteous fist or right fist. Neji not expecting his opponent to utilize such a basic move with such precision as the fist collided with Neji's throat. The hyuuga heir stumbled back a bit holding his throat desperately trying to breath as he fell onto the ground. Iruka was just about to call the match himself when he saw Neji finally catch his breath and stand up outraged.

"Alright you little clown I will show you to hurt me!" Neji shouted byakugan fully activated charging at Lee. However Guy stepped in the middle and held his hand up.

"As exam proctor I declare this match over with both Neji Hyuuga and Le-… Rock Lee passing with flying colors." Guy responded happily causing many of the children to run to Lee to congratulate him on his victory even if the winner was not completely decided. Lee taking off the belt was unprepared to be tackled by a flying pair of hair buns as he felt himself colliding with the ground.

"LEE YOU DID IT THAT WAS SO INTENSE!" She squealed happily making Lee feel strange in his chest. After the two stood up Lee finally took notice to the pain that was searing in his hands as he saw that his palms were bleeding and had several small cuts in them. As he sighed wondering if there was any money for bandages at the orphanage he was surprised when he felt someone grasp ahold of his arm and lightly start to wrap it up.

"Guy-sensei?" He asked as he saw the man smiling lightly as he wrapped the boy's arm, and though he didn't get and answer Lee knew that he had taken just a single step farther in his dream as he had demonstrated to this man that he was worth something and could make it as a great ninja. Soon Lee's arms were both covered in tightly bound bandaging as he smiled at the man.

"Lee if you ever need help with Taijutsu just let me know and I will be happy to personally teach you myself." He stated before patting him on the head and walking over to Iruka to give his results. Lee started to tear up sniffling as he tried to keep up the tough guy act around Tenten and the others. One person in particular was looking at him with hatred in his lavender colored eyes for humiliating his name. Lee in response only looked downcast trying not to make eye contact.

After all the children calmed down from their taijutsu exams they all went back to the classroom for Iruka to explain to them their duties as ninja and how in a couple months they will be taking the final exam to be promoted from academy student to Genin. Then entire lecture however was drowned out by Lee's thoughts of what the great Might Guy had promised him and how this could be his chance to become stronger. Silently Lee then decided that no matter what he would train as hard as he could in order to become someone that he felt Guy-sensei would be proud of.

"And with that class is dismissed for the day now you all can return back to your homes! Have a nice day and be safe everyone!" Iruka shouted as the school bell finally rung and the crowds of students started exiting the building. In particular Iruka only sighed seeing the angered Hyuuga walking out the door without the faintest hint of regret for all the hurtful things he said. Notably Neji would be punished severely back home for bringing shame to the Hyuuga name for losing to the dead last in the class. After the students left he was surprised however to see Lee still sitting in his seat deep in thought.

"Lee you know you can go home now right?" Iruka asked confused trying to wake the boy up from whatever daydream he was currently residing in. Lee though proved to be unresponsive to Iruka's questions causing the man to come over and gently shake him.

"Lee why are you still here you know it is time to go home right?" Iruka asked now that the boy was wakened from his daydream. Lee looked over at Iruka then looked back down at the floor again as he tried to properly vocalize what he wished to say.

"Iruka-sensei…in you honest opinion… am I weak? Or a better question to ask is…. am I ninja material?" Lee asked looking to the side. Obviously today had shaken the boy's determination a bit and he was now starved for answers. Iruka knew that if he wasn't careful with what he said then Lee may very well give up on his dreams altogether.

"Lee if you really want to know what I think…. I think that you show great promise and even though you are facing through great adversity you are still one of the greatest ninja I have ever met. There are so many ninja who give up and retire every year or even surrender or betray our village because they do not have the drive to work hard. You on the other hand have something none of them have…. You have inner strength that cannot be extinguished by anything including whatever anyone says. Remember Lee your dream isn't just your dream anymore because now you have Guy on your side and he wants to do everything he can to help you. So now Lee will you just give up and betray everything that Guy sees in you or are you going to stand tall and fight?"

Lee thought long and hard about this taking in everything his teacher was telling him. After a few minutes Lee shot up to his feet and looked at Iruka with a determined glance as he declared loudly. "I AM ROCK LEE A KONOHA SHINOBI AND I WILL GROW STRONGER FOR THE SAKE OF GUY-SENSEI, IRUKA-SENSEI AND ALL MY FRIENDS! SO LOOK OUT WORLD HERE COMES THE STORM!" Lee shouted confidently making Iruka chuckle. Glad to see his student was feeling normal again he decided to take Lee out to eat at his favorite restaurant Ichiraku ramen. After a bowl or two and some interesting stories about the orphanage Iruka walked the boy home and smiled feeling a bit proud of how far he had come along.

"I have great hopes in the future for you… Rock Lee." Iruka stated as he turned away and walked back to his apartment.

**Alright everyone that was chapter 2 of Blood soaked bandages! Now I apologize for taking so long to upload this chapter as I have been distracted with many things in my life including work and school and what not. I however love to write and I love this story and hope to pump out more chapters whenever I can! Please review it lets me know that my readers actually like my work and motivates me to write more chapters. With that being said thank you for reading and have a nice day!**


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